Clinical Decision Support in the Era of Artificial Intelligence

• Published in: JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association Vol. 320; no. 21; pp. 2199 - 2200
• Main Authors: Shortliffe, Edward H, Sepúlveda, Martin J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Medical Association 04.12.2018
• Subjects: Ability; Artificial intelligence; Computers; Decision analysis; Decision support systems; Evolution; Health care; Informatics; Machine learning; Medical personnel; Researchers; United States > US
• ISSN: 0098-7484; 1538-3598; 1538-3598
• DOI: 10.1001/jama.2018.17163

Clinicians and researchers have long envisioned the day when computers could assist with difficult decisions in complex clinical situations. The first article on this subject appeared in the scientific literature about 60 years ago. and the notion of computer-based clinical decision support has subsequently been a dominant topic for informatics research. Two recent Viewpoints in JAMA highlighted the promise of deep learning in medicine. With the evolution of digital and communication technologies plus innovative software methods, the ability to offer high-quality support to clinicians has resulted in impressive new capabilities and several commercial products. Health care is a particularly challenging domain for decision support. A clinical decision support system (CDSS) requires strong analytical capabilities that can function effectively in a domain where the understanding of causal mechanisms and relationships is still incomplete and where uncertainty and an approach to managing it, is accordingly inevitable. A (CDSS) must provide valid support while simultaneously addressing the list of demanding requirements to help ensure a system's adoption by clinicians.